The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1887-03-02
OUR FARMERS CLUBS.
What our Farmers are Doing and How
the Work of Organizing is
Progressing.
TRINITY CLUB.
iSubject-Help for the Farmer

DIR. Parker. There has never
been a time in the history Of the
world when there was such will
ingness on the part of State and
National governments to aid and
encourage agriculture as the present.
Even North Carolina is waking up
to the necessity of uplifting the
farmer, giving him a surer foundation
and broader views of his calling,
the most noble of all the avocations
of man. And [ hail this helpful
spirit as the fright morning star Of
coming day of glorious prosperity
for North Carolina.
The cause is a good one and no
statesman need feel ashamed or be
afraid to speak out; the theme is
sufficient to inspire the tongue Of
even him that is slow of speech to
the highest strains of eloquence.
This is a progressive, pushing age.
Men cannot keep abreast with this
moving, striving generation, if they
fold their hands and stand idle.
While other trades, professions, par
ties and monopolies are contending
for every inch of vantage ground
and fighting to the bitter end for
the ascendency, there are thousands
of poor, unoffending farmers stand
ing off at good, safe distance with
arms akimbo and saying "if them
fellows don't mind some of them
will get hurt
Yes, farmers as a general rule are
timid and rather suffer than speak
out, for fear they will offend some
General Bumgarner or Col. Cold
blood or other and thereby be
deprived of the little garbage they
already have. Yes sir, it seems that
there are scores of them who prefer
to dwell in the back yards of poverty
and oppression than to breathe the
free air of the plains of independence.
Let us make united surge to get
out of these old ways 1t can be
done, and it will be done in the near
future. Farmers do not ask special
Legislation in their favor, to the
detriment Of any other trade or
calling. All they want is an even
handed, fair chance with all Others
and nothing short of this is going
to satisfy the demand. But after
all the law making and Legislation
for the farmer, this alone will not
meet the case, even if persisted in
until doom's day. For until he is
educated up to proper appreciation
of his own interests, these enact
ments will be to him a dead letter
Moses formulated and promul gated
laws enough to save a universe, but
law alone could not save man, OF
else what was the necessity of a
crucified Redeemer? Men must have
the gospel of light and hel p to bring
them out of their wanderings in
the dark. They must see their
own best interests. In the main
people do about the best they know
how, for themselves.
The old topper who has been on a
drunk for a week really thinks that
the best he can do for himself this
morning is to get a drink, little
dreaming that a hot bath, a clean
shirt, and perhaps other garments
just from the laundry, a breakfast
! OF soft boiled eggs, and cup Of hot
coffee would do him a thousand
times more good. How is he to
know this, and who is to lead him
out Of the way that surely leads to
ruin and death Not the latter day
temperance apostle with his nause-
ating rigmarole of woman's tears,
orphans cries and poverty's rags.
The drunkard always knows all about
tears and cries and rags. 1t is his
internal viscus, the stomach, he is
concerned about He cares nothing
whatever about golden streets, gilt
tering palms, seraphic harps, white
robes and the songs of the blest.
1t is the raging hell within that
absorbs his every thought. If his
mouth was as big as the gulf OF
Mexico, he would fill it and turn